Ask the Coaches: Should I Worry About Building Speed as a Beginner?

Limit increases in intensity or volume to 10% a week

Tuesday, December 11, 2012, 12:00 am

Question: I am 52 years old. Back in April of 2012 I decided to begin running, starting with the Couch to 5k interval program. I'm up to doing 8 miles at an 11:05 minute pace. I'm now using Runner's Worlds SmartCoach program shooting for a half marathon in March.

Should I even be worried about increasing my speed at this point in my development? Or should I just focus on staying true to SmartCoach? I'd like to be a little more competitive.

Answer: Congratulations on getting started again. I believe you made a wise move in taking the entire year to build towards this race.

Assuming you are healthy and making steady improvement, I think it makes sense to stay with a plan that is working, as opposed to jumping from plan to plan. I did note that SmartCoach permits you to adjust the intensity of your training program. If you feel you are not getting enough “quality” in your workouts, you could choose a higher level of intensity within the same program. A big caution here: increases in intensity + increases in volume = injury. The old ten percent rule is always a pretty good guide: limit increases in intensity or increases in volume to no more than ten percent a week.

Overall, my advice would be to stand pat and do your analysis after the half. Best of luck with your half!